Cal Performances presents Vivaldi's The Four Seasons at 300 featuring Les Arts Florissants, led by soloist Théotime Langlois de Swarte
Zellerbach Hall Auditorium
U.C. Berkeley, Bancroft Way at Telegraph Ave, Berkeley, CA 94305 USA
7:30 PM, Wednesday, March 19, 2025

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[7:35 PM] {lights down, pre-recorded announcements}
[7:36 PM] {performers out; tuning}

1. [7:37 PM] Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643): Adoramus te, Christe, SV 289 (transcription) (1620) —
2. [7:40 PM] Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741): Concerto for Strings in D minor, Madrigalesco, RV 129 (c. 1720): Adagio – Allegro – Adagio – Without indication —
3. [7:44 PM] Marco Uccellini (1603–1680): Aria sopra la Bergamasca, Op. 3 (1642) —
4. [7:48 PM] Vivaldi: Concerto in D minor, RV 813 (ca. 1705–1710): Allegro – Adagio – Allegro – Andante – Adagio – Allegro
   [7:57 PM] {applause at end segment}
   [7:58 PM] {Greetings from TL}

Vivaldi: Violin Concerto in E major, Op. 8, No. 1, RV 269 (1725), La primavera (Spring)

1. [8:02 PM] I. Allegro
2. [8:06 PM] II. Largo
3. [8:09 PM] III. Allegro
   [8:12 PM] {applause at work end}

Vivaldi: Violin Concerto in G minor, Op. 8, No. 2, RV 315 (1725), L’estate (Summer)

1. [8:13 PM] I. Allegro non molto
2. [8:18 PM] II. Adagio
3. [8:21 PM] III. Presto
   [8:23 PM] {set ends; all off}

[8:43 PM] {lights down; band out; tuning}

1. [8:44 PM] Vivaldi: Overture to La fida ninfa (The Faithful Nymph) in F major, RV 714 (1732) —

Vivaldi: Violin Concerto in F major, Op. 8, No. 3, RV 293 (1725), L’autunno (Autumn)

1. [8:49 PM] I. Allegro
2. [8:51 PM] II. Adagio molto
3. [8:54 PM] III. Allegro
   [8:57 PM] {applause at work end}
   [8:58 PM] {TL speech}
   
   .
4. [9:00 PM] Vivaldi: Grave from Violin Concerto in B-flat major, RV 370 —

Vivaldi: Violin Concerto in F minor, Op. 8, No. 4, RV 297 (1725), L’inverno (Winter)

1. [9:03 PM] I. Allegro non molto
2. [9:06 PM] II. Largo
3. [9:08 PM] III. Allegro
   [9:12 PM] {set ends}
   
   1st Encore
   [9:13 PM] {TL asks if we want to hear La Follia}
4. [9:13 PM] Francesco Geminiani (1687–1762): Concerto Grosso No. 12 in D minor, Follia (after Corelli) (1729)
   [9:22 PM] {applause at work end}
   
   2nd Encore
5. [9:23 PM] ENCORE - TBD
   [9:25 PM] {applause; show ends}

Les Arts Florissants

• Alyssa Campbell: violin;
• Nicolas Fromonteil: viola;
• Jeffrey Girton: violin;
• Benoît Hartoin: harpsichord;
• Théotime Langlois de Swarte: musical director, violin.
• Augusta McKay Lodge: violin, concertmaster;
• Lucia Peralta Lopez: viola;
• Valentine Pinardel: violin;
• Magdalena Probe: cello;
• Roxana Rastegar: violin;
• Christophe Robert: violin;
• Hanna Salzenstein: cello;
• Magdalena Sypniewski: violin;
• Yaoré Talibart: violin;
• Alexandre Teyssonnière de Gramont: contrabass.

No chin rests on any of the instruments, I guess that means they're all baroque models?

I thought it was a little weird for the ensemble to rush through the first four works on the program with nary a second or two pause between selections. In his greetings after that segment Théotime mentioned that they were worried about the length of program, and that consequently, Geminiani's Follia was being moved to the end of set two, but they can hardly have 'saved' more than a minute by hurrying through the beginning works. Starting the show with examples to illustrate Vivaldi's roots is a great idea: why reduce that effect by obscuring the differences between Vivaldi's early pieces and those of his predecessors?

This being the 300th anniversary of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, I expect to see it programmed by many classical organizations. Tonight's rendition by Les Arts Florissants set a pretty high bar, especially with their performances of the Spring & Summer concertos. Set Two's insertion of introductory elements preceding the Fall and Winter concertos was peculiar: to my ear, those pieces did little to prime me for the following piece. And if the intent was to pad out a shorter second set, why not just shift the set break earlier?

As of today I'm flummoxed as far as identifying the second encore. Being short and lively, I'm inclined to think that it was a repeat of one of the fast movements from earlier in the night, but I wasn't paying enough attention to make positive identification – must have been distracted by all the tweedle-deedle-dee going on!

Program Notes or program notes

Michael Zwiebach posted a review of the show with SFCV, but alas, failed to identify the second encore.

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